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Imprisoned Nasrin Sotoudeh on hunger strike (04/09/2018)

Iranian human rights lawyer and 2012 Sakharov Prize laureate Nasrin Sotoudeh was arrested on 13 June and taken to Evin prison in Tehran shortly after she joined other lawyers in condemning the Iranian judiciary's decision to force detainees held on politically motivated charges to choose their lawyers from a list of 20 approved by the judiciary. Previously, she was condemned in absentia in 2015 for "espionage in hiding" to a five-year sentence and refused to appear in court after being summoned in November 2017. Nasrin Sotoudeh faces various additional charges, most recently connected with her legal defence of anti- headscarf protesters such as Shaparak Shajarizadeh and Maryam Shariatmadari, and for participating in the formation of Legam, a banned Iranian organisation that opposes the death penalty. Nasrin Sotoudeh started a hunger strike on 25 August to protest various detentions and pressures by the judiciary against her family, associates and friends. She thus joined in solidarity human rights activist Farhad Meysami who was arrested on 31 July for protesting against forced headscarf and has been on hunger strike since.

EP President Antonio Tajani as well as Vice-President Heidi Hautala and Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights Pier Antonio Panzeri reacted by calling for Sotoudeh's immediate release. In a letter sent to President Rohani at the initiative of MEP Marietje Schaake (ALDE, NL) on 22 August, 60 MEPs reiterate the call. "Her case signifies that the Iranian judiciary continues to criminalise legitimate human rights activism", the MEPs state.

BAJ concerned about further restrictions against the freedom of the media online (19/06/2018)

During a visit to the EP, representatives from the 2004 Sakharov Prize Laureate Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) Andrei Bastunets and Zhanna Litvina discussed the human rights and media situation in Belarus, sharing their concerns to MEPs, EP and EEAS officials regarding the new amendments to the media laws that are aimed at further restricting the freedom of the media online. The EP adopted a resolution urging the authorities "to abandon the amendments to the Law on the Media, which, if adopted, would threaten freedom of expression, and to end the persecution of independent bloggers for practicing free expression".

Reporters Without Borders address fake news at EP Open Days in Strasbourg and Brussels (10/06/2018; 05/05/2018)

Christophe Deloire at EP Open Day 2018

Secretary-general of 2005 Sakharov Prize Laureate Reporters Without Borders Christophe Deloire was the key speaker at a public debate on the issue of fake news, freedom of speech and trust in the relationship between politicians, media and citizens at European Parliament's Open Day in Brussels on 5 May 2018. Mr. Deloire's Deputy Antoine Bernard covered the same topic at the Open Day celebrated in Strasbourg on 10 June 2018.

Sakharov Prize Laureates and representatives together with Vice-President Heidi Hautala and the 2018 Sakharov fellows

The European Parliament hosted the conference of the 30th anniversary of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, which took place in Brussels on 4 and 5 June. Twenty Sakharov Prize Laureates and several Members of the European Parliament, including President Antonio Tajani, Vice Presidents Heidi Hautala and Fabio Massimo Castaldo, Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights Pier Antonio Panzeri paid tribute to the laureates' achievements. The press also attended the conference. However, 2005 Sakharov Prize Laureate Cuban Berta Soler and 2011 Sakharov Prize Laureate Egyptian activist Asmaa Mahfouz were banned by their governments from traveling to Brussels against the background of an ongoing crackdown on civil society in their countries.

Sakharov Laureates at the European Youth Event (01-02/06/2018)

Dr Mukwege, EP Vice-President Wieland, and Lamya Haji Bashar

Over 8,000 young Europeans came to Strasbourg on 1-2 June 2018 for two days of ideas and debates at the European Youth Event (EYE) 2018. Among the inspiring speakers, Sakharov Prize Laureates Dr Denis Mukwege (2014) and Lamya Haji Bashar (2016) told their moving personal stories and shared their experiences in a debate called "Voices of humanity". Dr Mukwege also contributed a key note to a debate on "Changing Africa: New perspectives in the smartphone era".

EP hosts a screening of ‘Women of the Venezuelan Chaos’ (26/04/2018)

For more than ten years, the European Parliament has been screening one of the films of the One World Festival, a human rights documentary festival organised by Czech NGO People in Need in Prague and in Brussels. This year's film was 'Women of the Venezuelan Chaos', an intimate portrait of five women facing scarcity and disorder in Venezuela. The screening, introduced by Member of Parliament Beatriz Becerra, was followed by a panel comprising the film director, a member of the Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and a representative of the 2017 Sakharov Prize Laureate, the Venezuelan Opposition.

Salih Osman released after months of international pressure (10/04/2018)

The Sudanese government has set free 2007 Sakharov Prize Laureate Salih Mahmoud Osman, as well as several political prisoners arrested during the January 2018 protests against a recent hike in the price of basic commodities. On 15 January 2018, police authorities ordered the detention of Mr Osman for a period of up to six months. By March 2018 he had been transferred to a police hospital due to high levels of sugar in the blood. He has now been released, after the European Parliament exerted a number of efforts in his support, including a personal letter from the President, an Urgency Resolution by the Parliament's plenary session, and a Joint Statement by Heidi Hautala, Vice President of the Parliament responsible for the Sakharov Prize Network, and Pier Antonio Panzeri, Chair of the Human Rights Subcommittee. The Parliament's Human Rights Actions Unit has been following closely the situation, and Vice President Heidi Hautala contacted the Laureate just after his release.

European Commissioner visits Dr Denis Mukwege (24/03/2018)

In an official trip to Eastern DRC, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides visited the clinic of 2014 Sakharov Laureate Denis Mukwege. The trip was a prelude to a donor's conference hosted by the EU, the Dutch government and the UN. The goal of the conference is to raise international aid for the DRC amounting to 1.7 billion USD. The government of the DRC has refused to take part in the donors' conference. "We are governed by people who do not love us", said Dr Mukwege. The doctor reported that the number of victims of sexual violence in Eastern DRC has increased since 2016, with a surge of violence against children.

In a panel held at the Elliott School of International Relations in George Washington University, European Parliament's Ramon Jauregui and Jose Ignacio Salafranca met with 2010 Sakharov Laureate Guillermo Fariñas and 2017 Laureates Julio Borges and Patricia de Ceballos in order to discuss the challenges of supporting freedom in Cuba and Venezuela. The panel also included members of the United States Congress. Cuban authorities did not allow Berta Soler, current leader of 2005 Sakharov Laureate Ladies in White, to join the meeting.

Sakharov Fellow Asma Kaouech at an EP event in Rome for the International Women’s Day (09/03/2018)

Tunisian activist and 2017 Sakharov fellow Asma Kaouech was among the key speakers at the conference organized in Rome by the EP's liaison office to celebrate the International Women's Day on 'Women, media and technologies: what future in the digital age?'. Ms Kaouech discussed the actions conducted by the Fanni Raghman Anni Association against the radicalization of young people and for helping girls and women to fight against stereotypes.

On the occasion of this conference, the exhibition 'They defend our freedom' has been set up. It is an EP and Magnum Photos project, to mark 30 years of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, of which Asma Kaouech is one of the protagonists.

Salih Mahmoud Osman, 2007 Sakharov Prize Laureate and Vice President of the Darfur Bar Association was arrested by Sudanese forces amidst an ongoing crackdown on human rights defenders, journalists and academics in Sudan. The repression is the authorities response to popular protests against rising food prices since 7 January 2018. Sudanese forces have used excessive force leading to the death of one protestor and made arbitrary arrests. Heidi Hautala, Vice-President of the European Parliament, and Pier Antonio Panzeri, Chair of the Human Rights Subcommittee, strongly condemned the arbitrary arrest of Salih Mahmoud Osman and other human rights defenders in Sudan. They urged the Sudanese government to release Mr Osman and guarantee the legal, physical and psychological rights of the detainees.

The EP affirms its support to Memorial amidst attacks against the organisation (08/02/2018)

At its February plenary session, the EP adopted an urgency Resolution reiterating that it stands by Memorial, 2009 Sakharov Prize Laureate amid an campaign against the organistion in the North Caucasus. Parliament called for the release of Mr Oyub Titiev, Director of the Memorial office in Chechnya and urged the Russian authorities to fully respect Mr Titiev's human and legal rights. EP vice-president Heidi Hautala, who is responsible for the Sakharov Network, stated that she will continue to monitor the situation of Memorial closely and demanded that the 'attacks against Memorial and its staff must stop'. The resolution follows the arrest of Mr. Titiev on trumped-up charges and an arson attack on 17 January that set on fire the office of Memorial in neigbouring Ingushetia, as well as other attacks and threatening statements by the Chechen authorities. David McAllister, Chair of the Foreign Affairs committee, Pier Antonio Panzeri, Chair the Human Rights Subcommittee, made a statement on 12 January, calling for the immediate release of Oyub Titiev.

The Belarusian Association of Journalists and Reporters Without Borders Discuss Freedom of Speech in Malta (02/02/2018)

As part of the Sakharov Prize Network (SPN), 2004 Sakharov Prize Laureate, The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) and 2005 Sakharov Prize Laureate, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) were invited to a public debate on Freedom of Speech with Members of the European Parliament in Malta. The representative of BAJ, Michal Janczuk, and the representative of RSF, Pauline Adès-Mével, joined the discussion with MEP Francis Zammit Dimech, CULT Opinion EPP Group Rapporteur on Media Freedom, MEP Alfred Sant, S&D Head of the Maltese Delegation, and MEP Roberta Metsola from the EPP Group and LIBE Coordinator. Journalists and civil society actors also participated in the debate, with Mario Schiavone from the Malta Institute of Journalists and Mike Briguglio, the co-founder the Civil Society Network.

Family members of the murdered Maltese journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia, were present. A full house attended the event with a large number of Maltese and other EU nationals including British, German, Latvian, and Swedish participating in the debate to interact with the panellists and each other in a debate in English. The discussion had media coverage and both laureates had media interviews throughout the day and at the event. The discussion continued online after the event with people posting comments reacting to articles on the debate posted on the Facebook page of the European Parliament Office in Valletta.

EP President defends Leyla Zana (11/01/20118)

Leyla Zana, a member of the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party and 1995 Sakharov Prize Laureate was stripped of her status of Member of the Turkish parliament by a majority vote, due to her refusal to take her oath exactly in the way required by the Turkish Constitution and frequent absences due to the fact that Zana was not allowed to participate in the sessions. EP President Antonio Tajani stated at the opening of the January plenary session in Strasbourg that it was "unacceptable" and "illegitimate" for a representative of the people to be dismissed. He also voiced his general concern over human rights violations against politicians, civil society, academics and journalists in Turkey. Leyla Zana was the first Kurdish woman to be elected to the parliament of Turkey.

The Sakharov Prize Laureates join forces in support of Iranian protests (10/01/2018)

According to a FIDH report, more than 3700 people have been detained, 31 protesters have died on the streets and at least three detainees have died in prison since the beginning of the protests in Iran on 28 December 2017. After speaking to several prisoners in Evin prison, 2012 Sakharov Prize Laureate Nasrin Sotoudeh added that at least two other protesters had died in jail and expressed her concern about the use of unofficial detention centres, which drew nationwide attention during the 2009 protests. Through his wife, Ensaf Haidar, 2015 Sakharov Prize Laureate Raif Badawi sent his honest greetings from prison to the brave revolutionaries in Iran. 2008 Sakharov Prize Laureate Hu Jia stated that "the way Iranians staged their protests and the way their protests were quelled by police, following instructions from the authorities, will have an impact on both the Chinese people and local police".

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2017 was awarded to the Democratic Opposition in Venezuela in Strasbourg on 13 December. The Prize was presented by President Antonio Tajani. The laureates took part in a series of meetings with political groups, EP Committees and Delegations, media interviews, discussions with Youth and on Facebook. The award not only recognised the opposition's courageous fight, but also paid tribute to political prisoners and to the Venezuelan people struggling to survive a brutal regime on a daily basis. The EP in cooperation with city of Strasbourg organised a debate with citizens and an opening of an exhibition "They defend our freedoms", celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Sakharov Prize. The Sakharov Prize 2017 finalists Aura Lolita Chavez Ixcaquic and a daughter of imprisoned Dawit Isaak also attend the ceremony and met with MEPs.

The 2007 Sakharov Prize Laureate Salih Osman spoke in Brussels about his experience as a human rights defender in Darfur/Sudan to eighteen politically engaged activists from Israel and Palestine participating in the Parliament's Young Political Leaders Programme. They showed a strong interest in the split of Sudan into two countries and in the effectiveness of International criminal court. The EP ambition is, by investing in dialogue, to reach out to the next generation of leaders outside the European Union and empower them in building better, more peaceful societies. Mr Osman also met with a number of MEPs to discuss the Parliament's role in addressing critical human rights violations in Sudan and demand the implementation of the ICC's warrant to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

A parliamentary delegation including Members of the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) reiterated the call for the release of 2015 Sakharov Prize Laureate Raif Badawi and other human rights defenders on a visit to Saudi Arabia. Following several requests for information about Badawi's health, the Saudi Human Rights Commission and the Human Rights Society confirmed to the delegation that Badawi is in good health and that a procedure for a Royal Pardon is underway and that he will be pardoned whenever a decision is made in this respect.

The European Parliament has just decided today to award this year's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to the Democratic Opposition in Venezuela: National Assembly (President Julio Borges) and all Political Prisoners as listed by Foro Penal Venezolano represented by Leopoldo López, Antonio Ledezma, Daniel Ceballos, Yon Goicoechea, Lorent Saleh, Alfredo Ramos and Andrea González. The Venezuelan Opposition was nominated by the European People's Party (EPP) and the Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE).

The two other finalists were Aura Lolita Chavez Ixcaquic, an educator, human rights defender and leader of the Council of K'iche' Peoples in Defense of Life, Mother Nature, Earth and Territory (CPK) from Guatemala and Dawit Isaak, an imprisoned Swedish-Eritrean playwright, journalist and writer, who was arrested in 2001 and has been held in incommunicado detention since without trial. Ms Chavez Ixcaquic and a representative of Mr Isaak will also be invited to attend the award ceremony, which will be held in Strasbourg on 13 December.

More young people active in Russia - Kirill Koroteev in Tallinn (17/10/2017)

Kirill Koroteev, the Legal Director of 2009 Sakharov Prize Laureate Memorial, delivered a Sakharov Prize Lecture at the European Parliament Information Office in Tallinn. Invited in the framework of the SPN activity, he spoke about the work of Memorial and the human rights situation in general. 'It's important not to ignore measures governments undertake to restrict human rights', he underlined. Koroteev advised to human rights defenders to 'use the help of media, lawyers and parliamentarians to reach out.' In the interview for Radio 4, he added that 'more and more young people in Russia are active not only in the field of human rights but in the activities of society in general. Big role in this pays the new technology...' After the lecture, students from three high schools held a debate on the three shortlisted 2017 Sakharov Prize candidates to decide whom the prize should be awarded to.

The candidates for this year's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought have been nominated. Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman sentenced to death in 2010 under the country´s blasphemy law has been proposed by the European Conservatives and Reformist group (ECR). Aura Lolita Chavez Ixcaquic, an educator, human rights defender and leader of the Council of K'iche' Peoples in Defense of Life, Mother Nature, Earth and Territory (CPK) from Guatemala has been chosen by the Greens/European Free Alliance group. The European United Left/Nordic Green Left group (GUE/NGL) put forward the co-chairs of the People's Democratic Party (HDP) and members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ. The candidate of the European People's Party (EPP) and the Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) is the Democratic Opposition in Venezuela: National Assembly (President Julio Borges) and all Political Prisoners as listed by Foro Penal Venezolano represented by Leopoldo López, Antonio Ledezma, Daniel Ceballos, Yon Goicoechea, Lorent Saleh, Alfredo Ramos and Andrea González. The Socialists and Democrats (S&D), MEP Cecilia Wikström and 46 other MEPs promote the candidacy of Dawit Isaak, an imprisoned Swedish-Eritrean playwright, journalist and writer, who was arrested in 2001 and has been held in incommunicado detention since without trial. The Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy group (EFDD) picked Burundi's human rights activist and founder of the Association for the Protection of Human Rights and Detained Persons, Pierre Claver Mbonimpa.

The EP defends Rohingya and MEPs mull over the option of revoking of the Sakharov Prize (14/09/2017)

In a letter to State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi following a recent EP resolution on Myanmar, EP President Antonio Tajani asked for her help to put an end to the violence against the Rohingya population. In the resolution, the EP urges the Government of Myanmar and Aung San Suu Kyi in particular, to "condemn unequivocally all incitement to racial or religious hatred and to combat social discrimination and hostilities against the Rohingya minority" and to "push for the implementation of the recommendations given in the final report of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State". The EP further reminds the 1990 Sakharov Prize laureate that "the prize is awarded to those who defend human rights, safeguard the rights of minorities and respect international law, among other criteria" and "draws attention to the need to consider whether the Sakharov Prize could be revoked in cases where laureates violate those criteria after the prize has been awarded".

Survivors of sexual violence gathered in Geneva at the initiative of Dr Mukwege (27-30/06/2017)

With support of the Sakharov Prize Network, the Mukwege Foundation brought together 30 survivors of sexual violence coming from ten war-torn countries to discuss launching a Survivor Action Network. The network aims are to give a voice to survivors of sexual violence, encourage their healing process, and call upon States to act against sexual violence. EP Vice-President Ulrike Lunacek addressed the event in a video message. A few weeks earlier, on the eve of the International Day to Eliminate Sexual Violence in Conflict, 2014 Sakharov Prize Laureate Dr Mukwege denounced the large-scale use of sexual violence as a "cheap and terribly effective" weapon of war. He stressed that EU Member States in particular "have the possibility, capacity and duty to unite their efforts to uphold the ban on using sexual violence, for instance through EU sanctions".

Dr Mukwege anew protected by UN forces in the DRC (16/05/2017)

In mid-May UN forces restored full-time protection of Panzi hospital where Dr Mukwege, 2014 Sakharov Prize Laureate, works. Protection had been removed in 2015 and Dr Mukwege had been reiterating his calls for re-establishing protection since then, in particular after the assassination of his close colleague Dr Gildo Byamungu Magaju in April 2017. His call received strong support by the European Parliament, in particular by EP President Tajani, Belgian MPs, French officials and petitions gathering thousands of signatures.

Reporters Without Borders’ Director in Parliament for the World Press Freedom Day (04/05/2017)

Christophe Deloire and EP President Antonio Tajani

Christophe Deloire, Director of the 2005 Sakharov Prize Laureate Reporters Without Borders (RSF), addressed the DROI Subcommittee on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day. He warned that freedom of the press and expression were acutely threatened, with democracies evolving dramatically towards press repression, as Turkey, the US, Poland. Mr Deloire stressed the European Parliament had an important role to play to promote the freedom of the press. EP President Tajani, who met with Mr Deloire on the same day, stressed in a tweet that "defending media freedom is defending democracy".

EP President calls for security of Dr Mukwege (03/05/2017)

Dr Mukwege has been received by EP President Antonio Tajani, who ensured the Laureate full support of the parliament for his activity and promised to follow closely the issue of his security. Following the meeting the President issued a statement on Twitter calling for security of human rights defenders in DRC. "We are with you in your combat" - stated Tajani. Dr Mukwege thanked the President for his engagement and congratulated the EP for its work promoting human rights and fights against sexual violence based on gender.

Thanks to the support of the Sakharov Prize Network Lamya Haji Bashar visited Paris. She met the mayor Anne Hidalgo and spoke to the City Council. She asked the EU and its Member-States to do more to protect the Yazidis and to welcome in Europe those who managed to escape. Meanwhile Nadia Murad, 2016 Sakharov Prize Laureate and UN Goodwill Ambassador, gave speeches at Brandenburg Parliament in Germany as well as at Stanford University, demanding to bring ISIS to justice.

"I'll be the voice of the voiceless". Lamya Haji Bashar gave a powerful speech at the House of the EU in Ljubljana (Slovenia), calling upon Europeans not to forget the 3,500 women and children remaining captive at the hands of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq.

Invited by the European Parliament Information Office in Slovenia, the 2016 Sakharov Prize Laureate participated in a well-attended round table which brought together Patricija Šulin MEP and several NGOs (Amnesty International, Air Bridge Iraq). She spoke about the atrocities she had gone through as a captive of the Islamic State and called upon the EU to do more to protect the Yazidi community and to welcome in Europe the ones who managed to escape. She also stressed that "Islamic State is a threat to the whole of humanity not only the Yazidi in Iraq".

Lamya Haji Bashar then met with members of the Slovenian National Assembly. The President of the Foreign Affairs Committee expressed his strong support and praised her "immense courage".

Lamya Haji Bashar and Hauwa Ibrahim in Brussels on International Women’s Day (8-9/03/2017)

Sakharov Prize Laureates Lamya Aji Bashar (2015) and Hauwa Ibrahim (2005) gave inspiring key speeches at a conference on Women's Economic Empowerment: Let's Act Together organised by the European Parliament in Brussels on International Women's Day (8 and 9 March 2017). The conference gathered Members of the European Parliament, parliamentarians from the EU-28 Member States and from the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood countries, UN representatives, and experts from academia.

In her address, Lamya Haji Bashar recalled the suffering of women and girls still abducted in Iraq and condemned the atrocities and human rights violations committed by ISIS. She also called for more concrete international action to liberate communities from ISIS rule and for more support to the victims. Hauwa Ibrahim stressed the importance of education and eradication of marriage at young age as the core elements on the path to achieving women empowerment. Further key speakers at the conference included European Parliament President Antonio Tajani and European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Věra Jourová.

In a public event organised by the EP Information Office in Brussels on International Women's Day, Lamya Haji Bashar and Hauwa Ibrahim together with Sakharov Prize Laureate 2014 Dr Mukwege (by video message) addressed a Belgian audience of 150 persons in a debate on Human Rights and the fight against violence against women. Speakers included Alexander de Croo, Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium, MEPs Maria Arena and Hilde Vautmans, and Belgian academia.

Both Laureates had a bilateral meeting with President Tajani who reiterated Parliament's support for their work and praised their exceptional courage in defending women's rights and dignity.

Hauwa Ibrahim, 2005 Sakharov Prize Laureate in Rome (06/03/2017)

Hauwa Ibrahim - the 2005 Sakharov Prize laureate - was among the key speakers of the Freedom from violence as empowerment precondition conference organised on the 6th of March by the European Parliament's Information Office in Italy for the occasion of the International Women's Day. She sent a strong statement declaring the violence against women unacceptable and condemning sexual slavery as the forces slowing down progress and increasing insecurity for all of us and called for both women and men as society to tame violence. She also expressed her belief in education as a key to everything and spoke about her Mothers Without Borders project.

Among the speakers were also MEP Silvia Costa who highlighted the importance of the Istanbul Convention and its comprehensive legal approach towards the subject of violence against women; MEP Eleonora Forenza who called for recognition of the reproductive rights and increase in awareness of gender based violence against women; as well as Livia Zoli representing the Action Aid organisation who spoke about her organisation's projects for women economic empowerment in Europe funded by the EU.

Kirill Koroteev, the Legal Director of Sakharov Prize Laureate 2009 Memorial, delivered a Sakharov Prize Lecture at the European Parliament Information Office in Sofia. He described the human rights situation in the country as "deteriorating", and outlined how Russia's "foreign agent" legislation introduced in 2012 has been used to impede Memorial and other NGOs' work. The legislation means any entity that receives foreign funding, as do many NGOs, needs to register itself as a foreign agent, which has curtailed the finances of Memorial limiting its capacity both at home and abroad. The public audience asked many questions, such as about the level of interest in human rights among the media and public in Russia. Mr Koroteev noted that the level of public interest in human rights is low, citing that probably a number only "three times the population of Finland" had an interest, and that only the non-government controlled media in the country covered Memorial's work. While noting that European Parliament resolutions have not changed Russian policy, he stressed their importance in sending a strong signal to Russia that the EU will continue to defend the values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

Sakharov Prize Laureate 2016 Lamya Haji Bashar was invited by the European Parliament Information Office in Vienna to represent the Sakharov Prize Network at three days of events from 1 - 3 December. She attended the opening ceremony of the human rights film festival "this human world" alongside Vice President Ulrike Lunacek, where she addressed around 800 people in the opening speech. She also met Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern to discuss the plight of Yezidi refugees. At a press conference with Vice-President Lunacek and Yezidi activist Mirza Dinnayi, Haji Bashar said "It is not about me, I want to call the world's attention to the destiny of thousands of women and girls whom the "IS" treat like animals, so that this happens never again." Ulrike Lunacek added that "If you think that there is no more space for refugees, listen to Lamya's story and imagine that this happens to your own children."

Sakharov Prize Laureate 2007 Salih Mahmoud Mohamed Osman opened the annual EU-NGO Human Rights Forum, organised by the European External Action Service in cooperation with the European Commission and the Human Rights and Democracy Network. This year's event was dedicated to combatting all forms of torture. Mr Osman spoke of the widespread practice of torture in Sudan's "ghost houses" where people are detained, and insisted on the need for legislative and political changes to address this. MEP Josef Weidenholzer stressed the EU should use all tools at its disposal to fight torture, help civil society and protect the values which underpin the EU. Mr Osman also took part in conference workshops on ensuring accountability and redress to the victims, while Sakharov Fellow 2016 Nicolas Opiyo spoke on the panel on groups vulnerable to torture and ill-treatment. The visit of both participants, Mr Osman and Mr Opiyo has been coordinated by the European Parliament and is a part of the 2016 SPN action.

Sakharov Prize Laureate 2011 Ali Ferzat in Malta (16-19/11/2016)

Sakharov Prize Laureate 2011 Ali Ferzat visited Malta between 16 and 19 November 2016 to attend an event organised by the European Parliament in collaboration with the Department of International Relations of the University of Malta.

After having shared his first-hand experience about the war in Syria in meetings with media and with H.E. Marie-Louie Coleiro Preca, President of the Republic of Malta, Mr Ferzat met over 200 students from the Malta College of Arts and Science in Mosta.

The main event of the visit, the Sakharov Lecture, was held on 18 November at the University of Malta. In his speech, attended by MEPs, NGOs and members of human rights related institutions, the Laureate talked about art, politics and the role of the media in reporting the Syrian conflict. Despite the horrific situation there, Ferzat was confident that Syria will attain the democratic values its people strive for.

The cartoonist also noted his strong belief that art can be stronger than war, saying "they broke my bones, but I broke the barrier of fear", and "they can kill me, but not my ideas and my drawings".

Sakharov Prize Laureate 2014 Dr Denis Mukwege visited Luxembourg on the 27 October 2016. He spoke about his work treating women who have suffered sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and emphasized the need to end impunity and promote the rule of law in the country, including in the mineral trade.

After having been welcomed by the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Dr. Mukwege held a series of meetings, including with Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, the Mayor of Luxembourg Lydie Polfer, and members of the Luxembourg Parliament including the President of the Parliament Mars de Bartolomeo.

In the evening Dr Mukwege delivered a Sakharov Prize Network lecture at the Luxembourg Philharmonic alongside Charles Goerens MEP (LU, ALDE). The two panelists discussed Dr Mukwege's work and noted the important contribution of the European Parliament in DRC, notably its work amending EU legislation to require due diligence by EU importers of conflict minerals, as well as the importance of the Sakharov Prize. Reflecting on the day, Dr Mukwege noted that "All this gives me hope and helps me to continue my fight".

The European Parliament defends Raif Badawi (19/10/2016)

According to the Raif Badawi Foundation Saudi Arabia could restart the sentence of 1000 lashes against the Sakharov Prize Laureate 2015, who is still in prison. The European Parliament mobilised against the possible resumption of the punishment. President Martin Schulz tweeted that he is shocked and qualified the punishment as inhuman and undue. More information is available on Twitter using the hashtag #FreeRaif. Speaking on behalf of the Human Rights Subcommittee (DROI), Chair Elena Valenciano MEP noted that "Raif Badawi is facing a catalogue of harsh punishments simply for writing about his beliefs" and called for Saudi Arabia "to release Badawi from prison and reunite him with his family".

In his speech Dr Mukwege, who founded the Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), spoke about the causes of the horrific sexual violence against women in eastern DRC and the importance of EU regulation on the trade in conflict minerals. He argued that Europe is one of the major destinations for products such as mobile phones and computers that contain conflict minerals, so Europe can take the lead in breaking the cycle of violence caused by the war in DRC. He noted that "our daily appliances are very closely linked to the war, a war that has caused five million causalities, ten million internal refugees and hundreds of thousands of victims of sexual violence".

During his visit to Sweden Dr Mukwege also represented the Sakharov Prize Network at the Peace Conference at Södertörn University on October 14.

Memorial registered as foreign agent (04/10/2016)

Russia's Ministry of Justice issued a statement on 4 October 2016, adding Sakharov Prize Laureate 2009 Memorial to a registry of non-commercial organisations functioning as 'foreign agents'. Memorial's work since 1989 in monitoring and documenting human rights violations in the republics of the former Soviet Union is internationally recognised. Chair of the European Parliament's DROI Subcommittee Elena Valenciano MEP denounced this decision as discriminatory and stigmatizing and called on the Russian authorities to repeal the 2012 law.

Sakharov Prize Network mobilises in support of Fariñas (09/09/2016)

MEPs and Sakharov Prize Laureates from the Sakharov Prize Network have mobilised in support of Sakharov Prize Laureate 2010 Guillermo Fariñas. Mr Fariñas is on hunger and thirst strike, calling on the Cuban Government to end violence against political detainees and make a public declaration that such violence is wrong. Seven Sakharov Prize Laureates signed a letter to the Cuban Government asking it to seriously consider Mr Fariñas' demands, while Chair of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights Elena Valenciano MEP has released a statement on behalf of the Subcommittee calling on the Cuban Government to ensure Mr Fariñas's health and to respect its international obligations on torture. European Parliament Vice-President for the Sakharov Prize Network Ulrike Lunacek MEP also tweeted her solidarity with Mr Fariñas.

President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz MEP also wrote to Mr Fariñas, affirming his political support for peaceful initiatives to improve the political and human rights situation in Cuba and asking Mr Fariñas not to endanger his health.

Hauwa Ibrahim speaks at Fundamental Rights Forum, Vienna (23/06/2016)

Sakharov Prize Laureate 2005 Hauwa Ibrahim represented the Sakharov Prize Network at the Fundamental Rights Forum of the EU's fundamental Rights Agency in Vienna. Her speech focused on human rights in an increasingly interconnected world, where she raised the importance of education and the media in fighting extremism and argued that we need to "globalise the local and localise the global". The EU Special Representative for Human Rights Stavros Lambrinidis also spoke, highlighting that the EU is ensuring human rights concerns are "hardwired into development aid".

First cohort of Sakharov Fellows to start their programme in Brussels on Monday, 20 June (15/06/2016)

Next Monday, 20 June, 14 young human rights defenders from across the globe will arrive in Brussels to take part in the Sakharov Fellowship. This new programme, organised by the Sakharov Prize Network, will develop these human rights defenders' capacities, raise awareness of the Sakharov Prize, and promote its values. The idea for this initiative was born at the 25th Anniversary Conference of the Sakharov Prize.

The Fellows will follow a two week intensive programme in human rights, based at the European Parliament in Brussels and the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation (EIUC) in Venice.

In the Brussels section of the programme Fellows will focus on issues such as accessing funding for human rights defenders, developing communications skills, and the EU's policies and tools in support of human rights defenders. There will also be the opportunity to network with MEPs, officials of the EU institutions and Brussels-based NGOs.

In Venice, Fellows will attend the EIUC's Venice School of Human Rights. This summer school will develop Fellows' knowledge of international human rights law and instruments and how to use these to effect change in their country. Fellows will produce training materials based on what they have learned and receive support to share these materials with NGOs in their region, to ensure the learning is transmitted as widely as possible. The Fellows will also meet Sakharov Prize Laureate Hauwa Ibrahim and shortlisted candidate Leyla Yunus, who will both give lectures during the Venice School programme.

The Sakharov Prize Network held a Mid-Term Conference marking two and a half years since the Network's 25th Anniversary Conference. It gathered nine Laureates and eleven MEPs, as well as NGOs, journalists and businesses, and the EU Special Representative for Human Rights Stavros Lambrinidis.

European Parliament President Martin Schulz and Ensaf Haidar, wife of 2015 Sakharov Prize Laureate Raif Badawi addressed the conference. President Schulz reiterated his call for Raif Badawi to be pardoned. The President, Vice-President Ulrike Lunacek and participating Laureates posed for a photo with posters of Raif Badawi to show their support. As a follow-up the Laureates expressed their wish to sign a letter to the Saudi authorities demanding his release.

About 100 people attended the opening session in the European Parliament, where a video message from Sakharov Prize Laureate 2012 Nasrin Sotoudeh of Iran was played and a debate chaired by Vice-President Lunacek was held on the benefits of silent diplomacy versus megaphone diplomacy to protect human rights defenders. Two further debates focused on sectarianism or religious and ethnic diversity, with an address from Rudolf El-Kareh, Sociologist and Political Scientist, and defending human rights in a digital era, with an address from Guy Berger, Director of the Freedom of Expression Division, UNESCO. On behalf of the European Parliament the Network was represented by the President Martin Schulz, Elmar Brok, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Linda McAvan, Chair of the Committee on Development, and Elena Valenciano, Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights. The conference was hosted on behalf of the President by the Vice-President Ulrike Lunacek.

The Conference reached the following conclusions:

• The EU should not limit itself to silent diplomacy, but needs to use a loud, public voice in support of human rights and their defenders. Sakharov Laureates can occasionally help the EU find the right balance.• Network members should resist the division of people along sectarian lines and work for dialogue, tolerance and inclusiveness.• Freedom of expression is as important online as it is offline. The trade of spyware should be controlled in a similar way as that of arms.• Laureates underlined that the EP and the SPN offer them a form of protection and the Prize gives them courage and inspiration. Hence, the SPN needs to continue to strengthen its activities.• Laureates pledged to continue support of the Laureates and other human rights defenders, to participate in common actions, and to strengthen links with the EEAS and the EU Delegations on the ground.• The participants decided to involve Laureates in the development of the future network formed by the Sakharov Fellows who will take part in the educational programme sponsored by the European Parliament.

2011 Sakharov Prize laureate Ali Ferzat joined MEPs in a public debate titled "United in Diversity" at the European Parliament's Open Doors Day, the annual day when the European institutions open their doors for the public to visit. Mr Ferzat also met European Parliament Vice-President Anneli Jäätteenmäki, where they discussed the refugee situation and the need to advance peace talks on Syria. In response to an audience question on what is needed to end the war in Syria, Mr Ferzat said "the solution is available. It is within the corridors of the UN" as he called on the EU to support the creation of an interim government with the participation of all parties in Syrian society. Discussing freedom of expression, he noted that the Syrian regime has attacked and murdered artists and musicians, noting that these oppressed people "are not terrorists but peace lovers".

In a conference called "Human rights: Heroes of our time", Ensaf Haidar, wife of 2015 Sakharov Prize Laureate Raif Badawi, 2014 Sakharov Prize Laureate Dr Denis Mukwege and Kirill Koroteev, representative of 2009 Sakharov Prize Laureate Memorial, addressed a vast audience of young people in the Hemicycle of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Under the motto "Together we can make a change" the EYE 2016 gathered 7,500 young Europeans (aged 16-30) to debate with Members of the European Parliament and other political decision-makers and opinion-builders. The laureates gave an inspiring testimony of their engagement for human rights and sent a message of courage to an audience interested in very personal questions including: "How do human rights defenders handle their fear?"

1994 Sakharov Prize Laureate Taslima Nasreen joined ECR Group Chair Syed Kamall MEP and others at a discussion on preventing radicalisation and the film "My Jihad" at the European Parliament in Brussels, at an event opened by Vice-President Ulrike Lunacek MEP. The debates and screenings at the European Parliament were organised in partnership with the Czech NGO People in Need in the framework of the One World Film Festival, the biggest film festival dedicated to human rights in Europe. Taslima Nasreen noted that free thinkers that criticise Islam in Islamic countries "either are imprisoned, forced to leave their country or get killed". She deplored the ongoing radicalisation of Bangladeshi society and Saudi Arabia's influence. While in Brussels she also joined a debate in Parliament on women refugees and asylum seekers and the EU with FEMM Committee member Mary Honeyball MEP.

Nurit Peled speaks at the One World Film Festival in Prague (14/03/2016)

2001 Sakharov Prize Laureate Nurit Peled attended a film screening at the One World Film Festival in Prague on behalf of the Sakharov Prize Network alongside European Parliament Vice-President responsible for the Sakharov Prize Network Ulrike Lunacek, where she also gave a lecture to the Prague branch of the International Solidarity Movement. Vice-President Lunacek also sat on the film festival jury as part of her visit. Discussing the need for educational reform when addressing the Arab-Israeli conflict, Nurit Peled highlighted that "the maps in Israeli books show that Israel rejects international law and solutions", and noted that Israeli and Palestinian students never meet.

Sakharov Fellowship - Call for applications - Closing date 24.4.2016

The European Parliament launches a new Sakharov Fellowship with the aim of developing human rights defenders' capacities, raising awareness of the Sakharov Prize, and promoting its values. The idea for this initiative was born at the 25th Anniversary Conference of the Sakharov Prize.

The Sakharov Fellowship will give up to ten human rights defenders selected from non-EU countries the opportunity to follow a two week intensive programme in human rights, based at the European Parliament in Brussels and the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation (EIUC) in Venice.

In the Brussels section of the programme Fellows will focus on issues such as accessing funding for human rights defenders, developing communications skills, and the EU's policies and tools in support of human rights defenders. There will also be the opportunity to network with MEPs, officials of the EU institutions and Brussels-based NGOs.

In Venice, Fellows will attend the EIUC's Venice School of Human Rights. This summer school will develop Fellows' knowledge of international human rights law and instruments and how to use these to effect change in their country. Fellows will produce training materials based on what they have learned and receive support to share these materials with NGOs in their region, to ensure the learning is transmitted as widely as possible.

Sakharov Prize Laureate Hauwa Ibrahim will give an introductory lecture to the Venice School programme.

Nigerian Sakharov Prize Laureate Hauwa Ibrahim took part in two-day action marking international human rights day and supporting the implementation of the 2003 Child Rights Act at the state level in Nigeria. Ms Ibrahim, who is a Sharia lawyer, focused on violence against women and girls, especially in Nigeria's North East region where the terrorist organisation, Boko Haram has been waging an insurgency since 2009.

The meetings and public discussions, organised in cooperation with the EU Delegation in Nigeria, included a roundtable discussion with a group of EU-supported civil society organisations (CSOs) advocating state-level enactment or implementation of the Child Rights' Act passed in Nigeria in 2003, focusing on strategizing advocacy for state-level adoption of the Child Rights Act, particularly in Northern sharia states that are lagging behind in adopting the Child Rights Act. The discussants agreed on a need to focus advocacy on avoiding harm to children, rather than focus on the language of rights for children, as a more effective strategy to overcome the deeply-rooted cultural perceptions about the relationship between parents and children.

In an expert meeting Ms Ibrahim discussed the findings of a study on women and girls associated with Boko Haram and children born of sexual violence and the steps that could be taken to mitigate the risks faced by women and girls victims of sexual violence, in order to inform advocacy initiatives and programmatic interventions for this group. This was followed by special sessions with government partners and security agencies on justice, support and welfare aspects of policy and programming recommendations.

Ms Ibrahim noted especially the 'enormous support, financially, and morally that the European Union gives to these foot soldiers', referring to those carrying out the work on the ground, and 'the opportunities for the SPN, in collaboration with the EU delegation, to provide additional support'.

Sakharov events with Reporters without Borders in Bratislava and Sofia (07/12/2015)

The 2005 Sakharov prize laureate Reporters without borders spoke at the European Parliament's Information Office in Bratislava, Slovakia on 7 December 2015 and at an event organised by the Information Office in Sofia on 18-20 November 2015.

The Laureate (represented by Ms Alexandra Geneste, Head of RWB's EU and Balkans Office) was invited to deliver a lecture and open an exhibition of the Sakharov Prize together with Vice President responsible for the Sakharov Prize network Ulrike Lunacek and MEP Boris Zala in Bratislava in December 2015. The audience consisted mainly of students who actively participated in the discussion on human rights-related issues and EU's policies in this field.

On 18-20 November Ms Geneste delivered the Sakharov lecture in Sofia, Bulgaria. The event was organised by the European Parliament's Information Office in Bulgaria together with the Association of European journalists and the Union of Bulgarian journalists. Two former MEPs Slavi Binev and Evgeni Kirilov participated in the event.

On the next day Mrs Geneste visited the Department of Journalism in Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" to meet students and answer their questions. The hall was full with 60 students who participated very actively in the discussion.

Xanana Gusmão speaks at EXPO Milan 2015 (15/10/2015)

1999 Sakharov Prize laureate and first President of East Timor, Xanana Gusmão, participated on the conference organized by the European Parliament Committee on Development (DEVE) in cooperation with the Sakharov Prize Network at the EU Pavilion at EXPO Milan 2015 regarding the World Food Day on 16 October. The panel which was moderated by Linda McAvan, Chair of the DEVE Committee of the EP, counted also with the presence of three members of the EP, namely: Doru-Claudian Frunzulica ( S&D), Anna Zaborska (EPP) and Heidi Hautala (Greens).

Hauwa Ibrahim spoke at EP seminars in Zanzibar (14/09/2015)

Sakharov Prize Laureate Hauwa Ibrahim took part in a joint high level seminar of the European Parliament and the House of Representatives of Zanzibar on preventing electoral violence, empowering women in political life, and the responsibility of young political leaders. The seminars took place in Zanzibar, Tanzania between 2 and 4 September 2015.

The seminars focussed on the political responsibility to foster a peaceful climate before, during and after the elections in Tanzania, on enhancing the role of women in the political life in Zanzibar, and on the role and responsibility of young political leaders for preventing electoral violence.

The European Parliament sent a 4-Member delegation led by Mr David Martin and included Mr Eduard Kukan, Mr Ryszard Czarnecki and Mr Urmas Paet.

Prof. Ms Hauwa Ibrahim, the Nigerian 2005 Sakharov Prize Laureate (HRAC) spoke at several panels during the seminars. In her intervention she highlighted the need for involvement of women in African politics. She drew regional comparisons between Tanzania and her native Nigeria where the general election took place in March this year.

Members of the Sakharov Prize Network took an active part in the Human Rights Film Festival at the European Parliament (09/05/2015)

Opening of the One World Human Rights Film Festival at the European Parliament by Vice-President Ulrike Lunacek, Tuesday, 5 May 2015

VP Lunacek opened the festival and stated that it serves as platform to discuss the most pertinent issues of human rights and to bring together the European Parliament, policy-makers, and civil society. She introduced the first documentary to open the festival - Red Lines - which tells a story of human suffering and unending civil activism for a better future in Syria. As an example of bravery of civil activists and a high risk they often face, VP Lunacek reminded the audience of an outrageous case of abduction of the Syrian Sakharov Prize Laureate, Razan Zaitouneh. Razan and three other activists were kidnapped in Syria in December 2013. They have not been heard of ever since.

1. Syria: discussion after the screening of Red Lines, Tuesday, 5 May 2015:

Peter Sondergaard, Head of Programmes at the European Endowment for Democracy

MEP Ramona Nicole Manescu, stated that the EU should and could do more beyond the 3bn euro in aid that it has so far provided. Political courage is needed on the part of the EU as much as the will to deliver humanitarian aid, the MEP said.

Ali Ferzat, Sakharov Laureate 2011, concurred with the views of the first speaker by saying that the international community has failed to resolve the crisis in Syria at the earlier stage and after that the crisis has grown ever bigger and more complex. He stated that new actors in this crisis such as ISIS pose an imminent threat to the original hopes and ideas of the Syrian anti-Assad revolution of 2011. He called on the audience not to forget the origins of the Syrian crisis which are rooted in the oppressive regime which still remains in power.

Souad Nawfal, Syrian activist, built on Ali Ferzat's argument in her intervention. She said that the regime has manufactured groups like DAESH/ISIS, and it remains the real culprit of Syria's tragedy. Iran and other sponsors of the fighting on the ground need to be put under pressure by the international community to help bring fighting to an end.

Pierre-Christophe Chatzisavas, EEAS, stated that the international community is deeply divided on the narrative of the Syrian crisis and possible ways to resolve it. The EU supports and follows very closely the international Geneva peace process, which unfortunately has yet to bring concrete results.

The family of kidnapped SP Laureate Razan Zaitouneh participated with a video message appealing for her fight to be continued.The film gave a real-life perspective of the resistance against Bashar al-Assad's regime.

2. Burma: discussion after the screening of Open Sky and Article 18, Wednesday, 6 May 2015:

Speakers:

Barbara Lochbihler, Vice-Chair of DROI & Member of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Tun Khin, President, Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK Ranieri Sabatucci, EEAS, Head of the South-East Asia Division

Moderated by:

Ben Rogers, Team Leader for the East Asia Team of Christian Solidarity Worldwide

According to MEP Barbara Lochbihler, free and fair elections are a main priority in Burma/Myanmar as minorities such as the Rohingya stand to be excluded and Parliament needs to be vigilant on this. She recalled that during her two official visits to Myanmar, the human rights were a constant point of contention with the local policy-makers. The EU needs to find the right balance between encouraging the political transformation in Burma and remaining critical about the human rights situation in this country, she stated.

President Tun Khin of Burmese Rohingya Organisation also stressed the need for the international community to help reconciliation between the different religious groups in Myanmar. Unfortunately, the government of Myanmar plays a big role in maintaining the high level of social conflict by keeping one community deprived of the right to vote.

Ranieri Sabatucci, EEAS, gave a brief overview of EU's relations with Myanmar in which he focused on the regional aspect of the inter-religious tensions in Myanmar. Many cross-border threats such as human trafficking, and illicit labour stem from the statelessness of the Rohingya community and their lack of political representation.

3. Radicalisation: discussion after the screening of Warriors from the North, Thursday, 7 May 2015

Joost Hiltermann, Director for the Middle East and North Africa of the International Crisis Group Programme,

MEPs Beatriz Becerra Basterrechea Vice-Chair of DROI and Sabine Lösing, Vice-Chair of SEDE participated in this panel and spoke about the two aspects of radicalization - the human rights aspect and the security -related aspect. Both speakers agreed that the debate on radicalization of second-generation immigrants living in Europe who join radical Islamist groups tends to become polarised and overly securitised. This only plays in the hands of the radical elements outside the EU and populist politicians at home. Instead, a better and more nuanced policy is needed to better integrate immigrants including those who belong to the second generation and are not immigrants in the strict sense of the word.

Harald Freyer, EEAS, stated that there is an ongoing process of integrating different departments and units in the EEAS and Commission that deal with various aspects of radicalization such as migration, human rights, security, both within the EU and outside its borders into a more coordinated mechanism of responding to the challenge of radicalization. The work is still underway, he noted.

Olivier Basille, Reporters Without Borders, Sakharov Prize Laureate 2005, emphasised the role of the social media in affecting the minds of young Europeans. This role can be both negative and positive and it is very important that the social media become aware of responsibility they have in sending their messages across. As an example, Oliver Basille used the lack of the ''dislike'' button on many social media channels which can be interpreted by the viewers as endorsement of radical views that can be transmitted via these channels.

4. Child Education: discussion after the screening of National Diploma, Monday, 11 May 2015

VP Lunacek and Linda McAvan, Chair of DEVE stressed that education worldwide needs to be adequately financed, especially in countries where there is risk of young men getting involved in armed conflicts. The development aim of allocating 0.7 % of national GNP has not been reached in decades. The upcoming international conference in September wherein the international community will move from the MDGs to SDGs raises the hope for some improvement for a better global project for child education.

Dr Mukwege and Salima Ghezali agreed on the need of better structures eliminating corruption and trickery to succeed and the imperative of employment for the future of young people. Dr Mukwege spoke of the need for a ''moral revolution'' whereas Salima Ghezali used the words ''state project'' when talking about the need to bring new ideas and ethics to their respective countries and societies. The need for a better ethical and legal framework was also mentioned with regard to conflict minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Dr Mukwege spoke about the need of mandatory traceability of minerals in EU legislation for the improvement of the situation in conflict zones such as eastern DRC. This issue was raised in view of the EP vote on conflict minerals on 19 May.

Sakharov Lecture with Denis Mukwege in Ghent (08/05/2015)

Dr Mukwege was welcomed by a wide range of Belgian politicians and academic personalities such as Mr Daniel Termont, Mayor of Ghent, Members of the Federal and Flemish parliaments, Mrs Anne de Paepe, Rector of Ghent University, Dr Marleen Temmerman, Professor at Ghent University, Belgian politicians: other local personalities, students, and civil society. Thierry Michel and Colette Braeckman, co-authors of the film "L'Homme qui répare les femmes - La colère d'Hippocrate" were also present. In his address, Dr Mukwege aimed at sending a strong message for peace in people's hearts and minds, and peace in the world in general.

The event ended with the screening of the film dedicated to the work of Dr Mukwege.

The European Parliament's multiple efforts on the Douma 4 case (30/04/2015)

Razan Zaitouneh, Sakharov Prize Laureate (2011), founder of the Violations Documentation Centre, human rights lawyer and activist, was kidnapped in a rebel-held area in Douma, Syria, on 9 December 2013. She is still missing, believed to be alive, but her whereabouts and captors are yet unknown. She was kidnapped together with her husband and fellow activist Wael Hamada, poet and lawyer Nazem Hamadi and former political prisoner Samira Khalil. They are known as the Douma 4 and social media are alive with calls for their liberation. They were kidnapped together from the office of two groups Razan founded, the Violations Documentation Centre (VDC) and the Local Development and Small Projects Support Office (LDSPS), in Douma.

In December 2014, the European Parliament has launched a public campaign calling on immediate release of the Douma 4. Many MEPS supported the campaign among them the European Parliament President Martin Schulz, Vice President for the Sakharov Prize Network Ulrike Lunacek, Chair of the Committee on Development and co-Chair of the Democracy and Election Coordination Group (DEG) Linda McAvan, Chair of the Subcommittee of Human Rights and DEG Member Elena Valenciano, Chair of the Conference of Delegation Chairs and DEG Member Pier Antonio Panzeri.

In Spring 2015 the Parliament organizes a strong follow-up in support of the Douma 4 including the Freedom of Press campaign, a special action in the Parliamentarian, and a panel debate on Syria. The Douma 4 case was discussed at a special Syria hearing of the EP Subcommitte on Human Rights on 23 April.

The EP Freedom of Press Campaign features articles on freedom of expression written by different Sakharov Prize Laureates. It opened on 17 April on the Sakharov page of the European Parliament website with an article by Laura Rawas, the young niece of Razan Zaitouneh, who compare the freedoms we take for granted in the West to the reality faced by Syrians and evoked the brutal kidnapping of her aunt, Razan Zaitouneh, as well as her uncle, Wael Hamada, and two of their fellow activists and friends, Samira Al Khalil and Nazem Al Hamadi.

The Parlamentarium action: from 27 April to 17 May 2015, visitors to the European Parliament will be able to participate in the #FreeRazan social media action by taking photos of themselves with this message at the photo booth of the EP's visitors' centre.

On 5 May 2015: as part of the One World Human Rights Documentary Film Festival a panel on the conflict in Syria and human rights defenders will take place with the participation of Ramona Nicole Manescu, Vice Chair of the EP's Mashreq Delegation and Sakharov Prize Laureate from Syria, Ali Ferzat. Razan Zaitouneh's family are expected to send a video message highlighting Razan's case.

Past actions

The Sakharov Prize Network highlights child rights, the role of young people in revitalising democracy and freedom of expression online and offline and raises awareness about human rights violations in Belarus, Libya, Russia and Sudan

November-December 2014: the Sakharov Prize Network events aim to raise awareness of human rights issues and bring Sakharov Laureates closer to the European public and its directly-elected representatives, who every year nominate outstanding human rights defenders for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. There is growing interest in such events around the Union with participants eager to continue the dialogue. MEPs, Sakharov Laureates, international organisations, academic authorities, civil society activists and students were actively involved in the 2014 events.

21 November 2014: one year on from the Sakharov Prize 25th Anniversary Conference where the Sakharov Prize Network gave its support to children's rights and the Unicef campaign to end violence against children, children's rights and their situation worldwide and within the EU's borders were the focus of an intense debate held in Rome's Tor Vergata University as an EP and Sakharov Prize Network event jointly with UNICEF. European Parliament Vice President Antonio Tajani and Sakharov Prize Laureate Hauwa Ibrahim were the main speakers discussing 25 years of the convention of the Rights of the Child: the future for children's rights and the role law together with the hosting academic authorities Rector Giuseppe Novelli and Global Governance Programme Director Gustavo Piga.

Mr Tajani underscored the importance of the Sakharov Prize Network to Parliament, Europe and the world, and called on the debate participants to reflect on how "we can be change agents". He highlighted the 27 million children in Europe living at risk of poverty and social exclusion, both of which, he said, facilitate the violation of human rights.

Sakharov Prize Laureate Hauwa Ibrahim spoke of the importance of education to empower children, giving her own personal story as a child who had been given away in marriage at age 12 and rose to become the first female lawyer in her northern Nigerian state as a compelling example, and underlined the importance of inclusive education also as a safeguard against the threat posed by terrorist groups such as Boko Haram.

Among the students who filled the 200-seat auditorium to capacity were the Global Governance programme students who, in a paper on the event, singled out as a highlight the "interaction between the audience and the speakers that showed how people of different professions, background, nationalities and cultures can discuss considerable problems and think about possible solutions together". The debate, the students said, "confirmed the importance of international collaboration, implementation of law, involving children in decision-making of issues related to children, of fostering investment in education, sharing of knowledge between international institutions, and the power of the press and public opinion as it can produce an impact in the process of decision-making".

Academic authorities, UNICEF and Save the Children also took part in this debate that was inspired by Dr Ibrahim's commitment to children's rights and organised jointly by the EP Information Office in Rome and the Human Rights Actions Unit together with Tor Vergata University and in cooperation with UNICEF. Italian national TV Rai and other media covered the event.

3-5 November 2014: the third edition of the World Forum for Democracy organised by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg launched the challenge: From participation to influence: can youth revitalise democracy?

Sakharov Laureates were again invited to participate, as has been the case since the launch of the Democracy Forum. Mr Kirill Koroteev, representing SP Laureate 2009 Memorial of Russia, took part in this year's Forum as a discussant on Democracy Watchdogs, together with young people from Tanzania, Bangladesh, Belgium, France and the UK. Mr Koroteev brought up the issue of human rights violations in the world in general, and in Russia and its neighbours in particular. The other points of reference for Mr Koroteev were the youth stance on state accountability, youth attitude towards corruption undermining the functioning of institutions, audits carried out in cases of conflict of interest and the importance of education of young people to tackle corruption. The participants acknowledged the necessity to ensure that institutions are really responsive and accountable to all the citizens, including the young ones.

4-5 December 2014: the EU-NGO Human Rights Forum in Brussels, now in its 16th edition, tackled Freedom of Expression online and offline. The Chair of the EP Sub-Committee on Human Rights Elena Valenciano Martínez-Orozco participated in the opening session of the Forum, held as an interactive panel with the speakers reacting to each other and the audience and moderated by EEAS Human Rights Director Silvio Gonzato. Speakers included Mr Stavros Lambrinidis, EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Mr David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Mr Djamin Rafendi, Indonesia's representative in the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, Mr Torbjorn Froysnes, Council of Europe Ambassador, and Mr Jean Louis Ville, who heads human rights unit in the European Commission's DG DEVCO.

Freedom of expression is the 'great theme' of human rights which makes the freedom of thought and vice versa, Ms Valenciano said. She emphasised that freedom of expression online must not be distinguished from freedom of expression offline, and that the same rights should apply. The DROI Chair expressed the sub-Committee's firm commitment to work for freedom of expression and in defence of HRDs and journalists who are persecuted for it and her intention to engage to defend people who suffer brutal repression for using their freedom of expression, and against the climate of fear that causes self-censorship. She gave as a positive example of people's online freedom of expression and their engagement through social media the campaign 'bring back our girls' in support of the kidnapped Chibok girls in Nigeria.

Sakharov Prize Laureate Mr Michal Janczuk, of the Belarus Association of Journalists, Sakharov Prize Laureate, was also invited to speak at the opening session, but was unable to participate. He was one of the main speakers in the panel on Promoting media freedom and pluralism versus the dangers of unwarranted interference with impartial/ critical reporting on 5 December where he focused on the importance of aiming for objective standards of journalism. Reporting the truth, he believes, is the only way to liberate Belarusian society from dictatorship and also to safeguard against the influence of Russian propaganda. Questioned about the use of counter-propaganda, he said "The answer is to fight a dragon but not become a dragon: I am afraid of hearing a phrase like counter- propaganda. It is like countering cocaine with healthy-eating. Everything should be based on the standards of objective standards of journalism and using these in every day work because journalism was created on a need to seek the truth. Only the truth can beat Mr Putin".

European Parliament Information offices around the EU Member States were the Human Rights Actions' Unit main partners in organising and promoting the events in Valletta, Vienna, Bratislava, Wroclaw and Lyon in November and December 2014.

What Arab Spring for Human Rights? was debated by a full house of participants present at a Sakharov Prize Lecture by Laureate Ahmed El Senussi in Valletta, Malta on 12 December 2014. The debate was opened by MEP Therese Comodini Cachia, member of DROI and of the EP Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean, who discussed the EP's role in defence of human rights, and concluded by MEP Alfred Sant, a former prime minister of Malta, who questioned the EU's premise that all it has to do is export its values, whilst agreeing that it does need to insist on the respect of human rights. Ahmed El Senussi described the current Libya where arms abound in the streets, snipers are everywhere and killings the order of the day. Mr El Senussi pointed out that Libya may not be able to return to stability unless institutions are set in place. He insisted on the need for the EU to give a full contribution by helping to bring together all parties in Libya to build such institutions, and called for the return to the 1951 constitution - minus the provisions on the role of a King - and a federal system which he described as a vehicle to prosperity. Mr El Senussi also appeared live on national TV to discuss human rights issues in Libya and the Sakharov Prize, which he said showed that the world's attention was focused on what was happening in Libya at the time.

On international human rights day on 10 December in Vienna, the SPN event focused on the EU and Human Rights Defenders. MEP Josef Weidenholzer opened the event by strongly supporting the universality of human rights and insisting on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common ground for cooperation with international partners. Sakharov Prize Laureate Zhanna Litvina of the Belarusian Association of Journalists detailed the difficult situation faced by the press and more generally civil society in Belarus, with many strong examples of the propaganda and the repressive measures by the government. She highlighted the detentions, fines, interference into the activities of journalists and media organizations, the outlawing of freelance journalists and the independent media being pushed out of the country.

Also in Vienna, on 5 December, EP Vice President for the Sakharov Prize Network Ulrike Lunacek and Othmar Karas, Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, raised the spectre of Are we facing a new Cold War? in a press conference with Mr Boris Belenkin of Sakharov Prize Memorial who detailed the difficult situation NGOs are facing in Russia. Ms Lunacek advocated dialogue with Russia, but said that a strategic partnership was currently impossible given the massive human rights violations. She also advocated that the EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini keep in touch with the Russian civil society. Mr Karas called for the repeal of laws against human rights organizations and the release of political prisoners.

Mr Belenkin was the special guest, together with MEPs Anna Záborská, Eduard Kukan and Richard Sulík, of a ceremony for the opening of the Sakharov Prize Laureates Exhibition at the University of Saint Cyrilus and Methodius in the city of Trnava in Slovakia, followed by a press conference. Mr Belenkin, in a conference dedicated to the Sakharov Prize in Bratislava on 4 December, highlighted how the Prize had helped the Memorial Movement in 2009 with its struggle against the totalitarian regime in Russia and the preservation of the memory of victims of Stalin's repression in the Soviet Union. MEP Jana Žitňanská focused on the 2014 Sakharov Laureate, Dr Denis Mukwege, his life and his struggle for women's rights.

Past experience - a lesson for the present? Inter-generational exchange of experiences in the human rights field was the focus of a Sakharov debate held in Wrocław, Poland, on 21 November 2014. MEP Lidia Geringer de Oedenberg, as well as former MEP Jacek Protasiewicz, and Aleksandr Milinkevich, Sakharov Prize Laureate 2006 and leader of social movement in Belarus For Freedom, participated in the event with Maxim Zhbankov, a journalist, writer, and cultural animator, and Inna Kulej, representing an opposition workers' movement. 90 people from the University of Wrocław, local NGOs, human rights activists, citizens of Wrocław, Lower Silesia and Silesia Region participated in the events. Moreover, members of the Belarusian and Ukrainian communities also attended the debate.

The main message of the Sakharov events was the issue of the repression of dissidents and human rights violations in Belarus. The participants also discussed the struggle for freedom, independent justice and democracy in a wider context. They also stressed the need not only to talk about freedom, but also to fight for it.

Sudan: a forgotten conflict was remembered in a joint EP-SPN event with UNESCO, hosted by EP Vice-President Sylvie Guillaume and MEP Marie-Christine Vergiat. Unfortunately, Sakharov Prize Laureate Salih Osman had to cancel his participation on short notice due to his father's fragile health, but two experts, Tchérina Jerolon, responsible for the Africa Bureau of the Fédération internationale des droits de l'Homme (FIDH), and Roger Koussetogue Koudé, from the Institut des Droits de l'Homme de Lyon, together with the MEPs and an audience of about 160 students, sympathisers of human rights defenders and social workers, had a lively debate on the role of the EP in the field of human rights and EU foreign policy in general, the Sakharov Prize, ICT, the current situation of governance in Sudan, the role of the African Union, the organisation of civil society, the independence of South-Sudan, the election observation mission to South Sudan, and ethnic issues.

More than 5,500 young people aged 16-30 from all EU member states and beyond gathered from 9 to 11 May 2014 in Strasbourg, to participate in the European Youth Event (EYE), organised by the European Parliament (EP) in close cooperation with the European Youth Forum (YFJ) and nine other partners. The protection of human rights featured in several of the debates.

Two Sakharov Prize Laureates, Mr Olivier Basille, representing Reporters without Borders, and Mr Kirill Koroteev, representing Memorial, were keynote speakers and took an active part in the debates.

Basille stressed the need to fight against restrictive media laws in a number of countries inside and outside the EU, speaking on the panel "Social media: the end of politics behind closed doors?" on 9 May, attended by around 200 young guests, among them also Kirill Koroteev. Basille highlighted the very important role of the social media in a democracy. As the discussion inevitably turned towards the human rights situation in Russia, the country's role got portrayed as somewhat ambiguous. Hinting at Edward Snowden's stay in Moscow, Basille stated: "In Europe and in European politics, there is definitely a lack of civil courage. In this case, the courage was on the side of Russia - we didn't manage to give shelter to a man who revealed that we were all spied upon." A statement that was welcomed with sustained applause by the audience.

On a very different note, Kirill Koroteev, representing Russian human rights NGO Memorial, which is currently facing the risk of being closed down by the Russian government, deplored the human rights situation in his home country, speaking alongside Basille in the panel debate "Courage in human rights", attended by roughly 450 very active young guests in the hemicycle. Koroteev started his presentation by saying: "In Russia, doing one's daily work is an act of courage", referring mainly to journalists and human rights defenders whose work is perceived as a threat by the Russian government. Since 2012, NGOs in Russia receiving money from abroad have to register as "foreign agents". This would lead to increasing bureaucratic costs, Koroteev said, explaining that "once we have to defend ourselves, it becomes very difficult to do our work." This, in turn, would negatively affect those NGOs like Memorial that try to protect and support. The situation in Russia is worsening every day, Koroteev explained, and human rights defenders have to survive in a very hostile environment.

Being two of Europe's core values and essential for shaping the continent's future, freedom of speech and freedom of information are key elements of the European Parliament's efforts of promoting human rights causes throughout the world. Unsurprisingly, these issues spiked the interest of many visitors. The discussions between a large number of participants and the two Laureates continued outside the Hemicycle.

Overall, the young guests experienced three thought-provoking days, featuring over 200 activities of various formats, including some 500 speakers, moderators and facilitators. A plethora of hearings, debates, question and answer sessions, workshops and role-play games centred on five main themes: youth unemployment, digital revolution, the future of the EU, sustainability, and European values.

It was the core purpose of the EYE to engage young people in a debate about Europe's future, to get fresh ideas and to prove that young people are - contrary to widespread opinion - willing to shape future EU politics.

As Peter Matjašič, President of YFJ put it: "Young people today are too often maligned for their lack of interest in politics and motivation to vote. But what we saw this weekend were young people [...] coming together full of interest, enthusiasm and bright ideas."

The Sakharov Prize Network celebrates 25 years since the establishment of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought (17-21/11/2013)

The 25th Anniversary Conference of the Sakharov Prize brought together Sakharov Prize Laureates from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, as well as MEPs and other representatives of European institutions, services and agencies, NGOs, international organisations, journalists and students. Participants took an active part in a variety of debates and seminars relating to the Sakharov Prize Network and the European Union's role in promoting and protecting human rights worldwide.

The award of the 2013 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Malala Yousafzai took centre stage on Wednesday 20 November as Ms. Yousafzai received the Prize from President Schulz during a plenary session of the Parliament. All Sakharov Prize Laureates participating in the Conference are pictured above with President Schulz, and former President Lord Plumb flanking Malala.

On 24 October, the Sakharov Prize Network organised a conference in Marseille which brought together Sakharov Prize Laureate Salima Ghezali and MEPs to debate the topic of "Women in the Mediterranean Region".

This event was initiated by Jean Roatta MEP, vice-chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights, and represented an opportunity to exchange views on the status of women in each participant's region. The conference was followed by a public debate between MEPs and Ms. Ghezali. Ms. Ghezali had the opportunity to present her vision on the place and role of women in the countries of the Mediterranean region, particularly after the Arab Spring.

The discussion that followed the conference focused on the place of women in constitutional debates and political life throughout the region. It then moved towards migration policy and the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). The event gave those present the opportunity to keep updated and receive more information on the current situation in various geographical zones. The exchanges regarding the Mediterranean region were particularly lively, as were the more general discussions on the parts of Africa which are affected by political instability and undergoing large waves of migration.

Zeng Jinyan, Sakharov prize nominee 2007 and wife of 2008 Laureate Hu Jia, was the keynote speaker in a human rights awareness-raising event in Finland on 8 October 2013 organised jointly by the Human Rights Actions Unit and the EP Information Office in Helsinki.

Zeng Jinyan's message: severe repression of human rights defenders in China continues unabated despite occasional periods of less severe repression. Hu Jia, Ms. Zeng said, is not currently in prison or detained, but his freedom is limited, and he lives under a constant threat of detention or house arrest and continuous surveillance. The significance of international support and recognition of human rights defenders was highlighted many times by Ms. Zeng, as well as the significance of the Sakharov Prize received by Hu Jia.

Ms Zeng was speaking at a public event held at the EU House in Helsinki that included the screening of Hu Jia's and Zeng Jinyan's documentary Prisoners in Freedom City, information on the Sakharov Prize by the Head of Office Pekka Nurminen and a video message from MEP Tarja Cronberg. After the screening of the film, author Sami Sillanpää moderated an animated debate between Zeng Jinyan and the audience.

Zeng Jinyan's visit to Helsinki included meetings at the University of Helsinki and with Amnesty International. She was the guest speaker at the launch of a book by Finnish author Sami Sillanpää entitled Chinese Love Story about her and Hu Jia. The book launch event, organised by the publishers, included a Skype link with Hu Jia from Beijing.

Irish students debate and vote on who should be the 2013 Sakharov Prize laureate (23/09/2013)

In conjunction with the European Parliament Office in Ireland, students held a meeting on 23 September to debate and vote on the nominees for the 2013 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The event was set up by the students themselves, who came from a wide range of academic disciplines.